Caltrain seeks new voices to shape the future of biking and active travel on the Peninsula

San Mateo, California – Caltrain is asking people from all across the Peninsula to come forward and help make the future of biking and other active commuting options on the rail system better. The agency is looking for four new members for its Bicycle & Active Transportation Advisory Committee. This volunteer organization is very important for getting input from riders into transportation planning. The goal of the call for applicants is to make sure that people from San Francisco, San Mateo, and Santa Clara counties are heard as the region changes its approach to sustainable transportation.

Caltrain’s main place to talk about how bikers, scooter users, and others who utilize active transportation get to stations and trains is the BATAC committee. The members give advice on regulations, infrastructure needs, and the customer experience. This helps Caltrain better understand how station design, parking, and facilities on board effect people who use various forms of transportation every day.

This year’s hiring is looking for four different kinds of representatives. Caltrain is looking for a public agency employee from San Francisco County, another public agency employee from San Mateo County, a bicycle advocacy group member from San Mateo County, and a regular rail service user from Santa Clara County. The nine-member committee usually contains a mix of public agency officials, advocacy voices, and regular Caltrain riders. Each opening is meant to provide the committee a new point of view.

Every other month at 5:45 p.m., BATAC members meet, and anybody can come to any of the meetings. This makes the committee’s work clear and easy to find. The roles are volunteer, but they provide citizens a chance to have a say in transportation decisions at a time when bike use, first- and last-mile options, and multimodal connectivity are growing more significant in the Bay Area.

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You can send in your application online at caltrain.com/batac by Friday, January 2. People who are interested can also call 650-508-6391 to ask for application materials. Caltrain wants anyone who care about making it easier for people who use active transportation to get around to apply. They say that a wide range of knowledgeable opinions helps them prepare for the long term for the rail route.

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Caltrain, which has served the region since 1863, continues to operate under the Peninsula Corridor Joint Powers Board, offering service from San Francisco to San Jose and extending commute-hour trains to Gilroy. As the system transitions into a new era following its modernization and electrification efforts, the agency says public involvement through groups like BATAC is essential to ensuring that transportation improvements benefit riders across all counties.